Gaming & Culture —

Game Review: Pokemon Diamond (DS)

Diamond and Pearl, the latest incarnations of the Pokemon series, have hit the …

The Pokémon franchise has been built on incremental upgrades made atop a core formulaic system. Each new incarnation adds a few advancing functions while introducing a given number of new Pokémon. Diamond and Pearl are no different: not completely revolutionary, but improved enough to warrant a new version. You chose your sex and name, plop down in a city, arrive at a decision through a series of circumstances, chose a Pokémon, meet a Professor, and then venture out into the world in the hopes of filling your Pokédex so that you can become the greatest Pokémon hunter ever. To say that the formula is showing its years is an understatement. However, that level of familiarity is one of the strong points of the game: unlike most complex RPGs, you'll feel comfortable with the mechanics of the game within minutes of play—which is good for old and new players alike. The formula has been proven over the years, and these two latest games do not stray from the beaten path.

The battling is as simple and satisfying as it always has been. Sadly, the DS-specific features are underutilized. Touch-screen control is functional, but far from fancy; in fact, at times I felt that touch was somewhat unnecessary. Sure, thumbing away at the menus is neat and a tiny bit faster than the conventional method, but most of the time, it's simply easier to just use the d-pad and buttons to navigate menus since you're already using the d-pad for just about everything else. Some of the menus and the digital watch use the stylus, but again, the controls tend to be a matter of "just because" rather than "not possible without." Ultimately, Diamond and Pearl fail to utilize the DS' unique capabilities in any interesting way.

My other big gripe with the game is the graphical presentation. I know that graphics are not a pivotal part of the Pokémon experience, but when presentation is touted as a main upgrade and fails to impress, something needs to be said. Though the game world has been buffed into a pseudo-third dimension, the game retains too much of the older titles to really feel as though it has been significantly upgraded. The world and a few other objects are rendered in 3D, but characters and Pokémon are still sprites. I have no problem with sprites, and the ones in Diamond and Pearl are nicely detailed, but the animation found in the game is lacking. There are some pleasing effects here and there, but nothing that would really lead you to believe this was a game only doable on the DS. Why is it that battles need to be so dull? All I get from my creatures is a 3-frame shake left and right when hit with an attack. Then again, what need would there be for the Coliseum franchise if this game were truly as pretty as it could potentially be?

Despite the control and graphical issues, though, there are some aspects of the game that shine over the previous GBA and Gameboy games in the series. The DS' WiFi connection, in particular, is used very well. Online trading, online battling, and voice chat are all stand-out features of the previously cable-confined multiplayer aspect of the Pokémon titles. The few matches I did play online were quite fun, though I will admit that I was completely destroyed by 12-year-old after 12-year-old. Likewise, some of the new mechanics add to the underlying RPG structure, such as the ability for Pokémon to now be equipped with an item that alters certain stats or abilities, which adds a new dynamic to the otherwise expected play. And of course, there's 100-something new Pokémon to find, in addition to the other 300 or so from the past games.

Pokémon is a series that provides an enjoyable-but-familiar level of fun for a modest price. As has been the case for over 10 years, collecting and raising the tiny Japanese monsters proves to be surprisingly addictive. The improved multiplayer aspects and a fleshed out gameplay system help to continue that tradition. Though I would've liked to see something more progressive from the series, you can't blame the devs for sticking to what they know: after all, this game is guaranteed to sell a stupendous amount of copies regardless of what the critics may say. For the most part, though, the sales are well-deserved, as Diamond and Pearl are arguably the most solid DS RPGs around, leaving many of us with no choice but to continue to succumb to the whims of these money-grubbing pocket monsters. Curse you, Pikachu. Curse you.